Do you like beer? Do you like supporting local business? Want to support a good cause? Well then, you’re in luck because Cannery Brewing in Penticton has just the ticket!
The longtime established Penticton brewing company has recently launched a new beer that pays tribute to Canadian firefighters. The beer is called Wildfire IPA and the idea to make it came about during one particularly tough summer with a high risk for fires. The demand for this unique beer continued year after year, so Cannery Brewing has continued to produce periodic Limited Release batches of this specialty beer, which is known as a dark IPA (India Pale Ale).
This year, the Wildfire IPA has evolved and is now a tribute to the firefighters and emergency service workers who bravely fight wildfires throughout out great nation each year. To further acknowledge the work of these brave men and women, Cannery Brewing has partnered with the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation (www.cfff.ca) and will provide a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this beer to the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Wildfire IPA is described as having fierce hops, but a gentle bite. Cannery Brewing’s owner Patt Dyck describes the Wildfire IPA as “Intensely dark, but with malts that are subtle and smooth. Like raging forest fires, this dark IPA has complex hops that rage through to the finish. We modified the formulation of the Wildfire IPA, and this year’s Limited Release version is dry hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo hops. We hope to bring people a great tasting beer while also paying support to those firefighters we so desperately rely on each year.”
The 2013 Limited Release Wildfire IPA will be available in Penticton at Cannery Brewing and at select liquor, craft beer stores and restaurants throughout BC. So shop local and raise a glass to the firefighters and other emergency service responders who help keep us all safe.
For more information on Cannery Brewing or any of its fine hand-crafted beers, visit www.CanneryBrewing.com, or drop by and see them in the Brewery, which is located in Penticton, British Columbia.
The food truck sub-culture seems to have burst out of nowhere and has quickly become popular with foodies, families, business people and just about anyone else who can get their hands on it.
Lucky for me living in Vancouver I have had the chance to try many of the cities popular food trucks. Some of my favourites in Vancouver include, Tacofino, Pig On The Street, Kaboom Box, Re-Up BBQ and Vij’s Food Truck to name a few. Next time you’re downtown Vancouver I absolutely recommend stopping by Robson Square around lunch time. You will find food trucks lined up around the block and people happily eating on the Vancouver Art Gallery steps. It’s a unique and fun way of dining out.
Being a fan of food trucks I am also a fan of the ultimate food truck show, Eat Street TV on the Food Network. The show travels to different food trucks around North America sampling their fare and telling the stories about the people behind the truck and the clientele who dine there. Recently the show has come out with a fantastic cookbook to go alongside the show so viewers can not only see the food on TV but they can make it themselves in their own kitchen.
Recently while on a stop in Vancouver for the Eat Street book tour I had the chance to interview the show’s hosts James Cunningham and pick his brain about the new book. Check out our interview below:
Q: How did the idea come about to turn the TV show into a cookbook?
A: It was the fans of the show that contacted us. People were rewinding and pausing episodes of the show and where trying to recreate recipes themselves. We don’t include oven temperatures on the show so it can be quite difficult to recreate.
Q:Chefs can be notorious for not sharing their secret recipes, how did you manage t o get so many of these food truck chefs to share their recipes?
We were honestly shocked that the trucks were so open to share their recipes. We sent out an e-mail blast to the food trucks and the response was overwhelming. we thought we would get side dishes but got their main recipes, it been a great ride. Food truck people are so passionate to begin with and it’s that passion that comes through with the recipes and the show.
Q: We’ve seen you try food from countless food trucks across north America, how did you narrow it down to the recipes in the book?
A: Penguin (the publisher) is so diligent about their cookbooks. They test each and every recipe. The ones we received from the food trucks were tested and corrected in the test kitchen over and over again. We wanted to make sure the vast majority of people can make these recipes. If i can make it pretty much everyone can make it (laughs). We had them scaled down a bit in the end we didn’t want to mess around too much with the formula. We have yet to found food truck that we don’t love. The publisher accepted 8 percent with a few revisions for home kitchens.
Q: What are a few of your personal favourite recipes from the cook book?
There are so many! My brother is a great home chef and I’ve made a couple dishes with him. They are all really good. In the cookbook we broke it to seven sections so there’s something for everyone. We’ve got carbs, burgers, healthy stuff,vegan food etc. The Italian lollipops are so simple from the manja manja truck in San Diego. The Gypsy Queen Cafe in Baltimore Maryland has a great recipe in the book for mac and cheese cones. Mac and cheese is usually a two hand-er, but put it in a waffle cone and it;s genius. Food trucks chefs are re-writing the book on gourmet cuisine. What happened a few years ago the economy took a dive and these chefs scarped together and leased a food truck, now u have these really;y highly trained chefs behind the food trucks and it a whole new thing style of gourmet, inspired cooking.
Q: How does Vancouver’s food truck scene compare to all the other cities you’ve visited?
A: Its actually really good. Some people complain because the city can be so slow with handing out the permits but in terms of Canada Vancouver is actually a market leader compared to places like Montreal, Winnipeg, Halifax etc. In Halifax they aren’t even having these conversations about food truck cuisine. Vancouver is the biggest food truck city in Canada with Calgary a close second. food trucks in Vancouver actually have to audition to get on the street. The mild Vancouver weather is a major factor almost year round as compared to Calgary, Winnipeg or Toronto so food trucks in Vancouver have more time out of the year to flourish. A lot restaurants are very against food trucks. It can sometimes be a Food trucks vs. Restaurants war. In Vancouver though you have food trucks like Japadog, and Pig On The Street that have spun off into actually restaurants or places like Vij’s which is a highly established restaurants that has also spun off into a food truck. So it spins both ways. I think that there is a lot of room for both restaurants and food trucks. Places like Austin, Texas and Portland Oregon have 500-700 food trucks but also still have plenty of restaurants.
Vancouver has a lot to be proud of. A lot of foodies don’t consider food trucks when you think of gourmet cuisine, but that’s what it is.
Q: How does the cost of eating compare to the cost of eating at a restaurant?
Most food trucks offer more gourmet bang for you buck. They don’t have a wine list or a tasting menu so that brings the price down. It’s just a different experience, people getting together, outside in the sunshine, meeting people. In Vancouver, Chef Vikram Vij is so passionate about what he does that he made a prawn dish for about $14. just for the passion of making good food, he didn’t make any money on that. Food trucks are more reasonably priced gourmet food. That being said every food truck is a to a totally different experience and the prices vary. In Seattle there is a a double Decker which is bigger than most food trucks. In England, John Loves walk around with his food cart at the market and makes little snacks for you, his prep service in no larger than than a small table. We’ve seen all things, converted fire trucks, there’s such a level of variety. It depends on the overhead These places are monitored and inspected more often than restaurants are.. The whole perception of so called ‘street meat’ is changing.
Eat Street cookbook can be found at most book stores across Canada. To find out more please visit
I am so excited to be able to officially announce that I am one of the winners of the Mercedes Benz B-TheFace contest!!! I am so thankful to all of my friends and family who went out of their way to help spread the word about the contest and help me campaign for votes! I could not have done it without everyone’s help and votes. I feel truly blessed to have all of your support!
Mercedes Benz is sending me on a shopping spree in Vancouver which will be filmed as well as sending me to a photoshoot with my new clothes to take pictures! It feels like a dream come true, I can’t believe it!
They are also flying me to Toronto for a week next month for a big celebration at Mercedes Benz headquarters to celebrate the the four winners of the B-TheFace contest and launch the campaign.
I also am awaiting the arrival of my new Mercedes B-Class 250 which is on a ship right now coming from Germany. I’ve been informed it’s a black beauty I also won the job as the official social media ambassador for Mercedes Benz Canada and will be tweeting, blogging, tumblring and more about the new B-Class. I am beyond exciting about this new experience as I continue to tumble down rabbit hole.
I first discovered Poppadoms restaurant in Kelowna while on assignment for my job as a writer with Food and Wine Trails Magazine. I was quickly impressed with their fresh flavours, use of local products and fusion menu combining traditional Indian food with Okanagan terroir. You can check out my article (and some of my fabulous hand modeling -haha)by following the link HERE. Poppadoms is a definite must try in the Kelowna area. The owners are constantly finding new ways to fuse Indian cuisine with new age flavours. Recently they have re-designed their cocktail menu to feature Indian-inspired cocktails, created by bartender and owner, Harry Dosanj. The idea is to bring some Indian flair to classic cocktails by using spices and ingredients found in the Poppadoms kitchen.
Bartender and co-owner of Poppadoms, Harry Dosanj mixing some of his creative drink creations.
The new cocktail menu will feature 10 Indian-inspired cocktails and will launch on Wednesday 24 April 2013. Ranging from $7 to $10 (excluding tax), the cocktails build on the Poppadoms philosophy to fuse Indian flavours with local fruits, herbs and spirits, where possible. Many of the drinks feature Harry’s homemade syrups and infusions, including peppercorn infused vodka, garam masala syrup (homemade spice blend), and masala spiced tea.
Harry Dosanj said, “I am really proud to release my next cocktail menu. I have a playground of spices in the kitchen and many amazing products in the Okanagan to work with.”
Cocktail Highlights:
Chai-tini: gin martini with black masala chai and a lively homemade lemonade.
Dishoom II: refreshing g+t with cilantro, cucumber, Okanagan Spirits Gin, artisan tonic water, and a green chilli kick. Inspired by Bollywood’s equivalent to Batman’s POW “Dishoom!”
Mangalore: red chilli and cardamom vodka mixed with Okanagan red berries and topped with soda.
Temple of Doom: inspired by the Indiana Jones series, whiskey sour with orange and cherry-infused ice-boulder.
Hibisco Sour: sweet and tangy with Moteas Berry Hibiscus Tea, Okanagan Spirits Cherry Liquor and Pisco Sour.
Tamarind Margarita: classic on the rocks with a dash of tamarind and a salted chilli rim.
Co-Cochin: light, creamy coconut flavours from Kerala with lemongrass and ginger.
Mojito: with flavours of fresh mint, lychee and ginger.
Caesar: house-infused peppercorn vodka and homemade red chilli sauce.
Bollywood Smash: bourbon with house-made lemonade and a touch of mint and peach.
Last year I had such a fantastic time at the 1st Annual Oliver and Osoyoos Oyster Festival. For those of you that have been reading my blog for a while you may recall my post last year about the event. If not you can check it out HERE.
Well, it’s that time of year again, the buds are blossoming on the trees, the weather is warming up and it’s time again for the 2nd Annual Oyster Fest. Hosted by the events official sponsor, the gorgeous Walnut Beach Resort in Osoyoos.
Pretty stunning, right?
Whether you are a local Okanager or travelling from out of town to this event it is certain to be a fun and memorable occasion. Last year I met some lovely people, tried so many unique oyster dishes and sampled some fantastic Okanagan wine. I even got bit of a tan on the sunny pool deck at Walnut Beach Resort!
There are several events being held for the Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival, which will be going on from April 17th – April 21st. Events include a Tuscan style oyster dinner held at Terrafina restaurant, the second annual Shuck and Suck competition at The Sage, The Art of the Oyster tasting event, a BC wine pairing competition and more. Lucky for you there are still a few tickets available for these fabulously fun events.
Imagine a world where you could have small batch, locally made ice cream delivered to your door? Sounds pretty darn incredible right?!
Well, if you live in Vancouver then you’re in luck because home ice cream delivery is now a possibilty thanks to Genevieve Mateyko the owner and creator of Sunday Morning Icecream.
For $40 per month (you sign up monthly) you get delicous jar of ice cream brought to your home every Sunday. Does it get any cuter? Does it get any more delicious?
Past ice cream flavour creations have included Pistachio Rosewater, Salted Butter and Caramel, Bourbon with Salted Cornflake Crunch, Olive Oil, Thai Tea and Toasted Coconut with Vanilla Bean to name a few.
I don’t know about you but this sounds like a must do this summer! Count me in! I think this would also makes a great birthday, anniversary or ‘ just because’ present for someone.
In case you haven’t already seen on my Twitter or Facebook page – I am so excited to be selected by Mercedes Benz Canada as a finalist in their B the face competition in the B Spontaneous category! The winner receives a one year lease on their new B class model, a four month contract as the companies social ambassador and VIP access to Mercedes Benz events. How fun is that?! I would love to zip around in this cute new car for work, events and of course road trips!
Everyone who registers to vote is also entered to win a driving experience at the Mercedes Benz driving academy!
You can vote for me daily until the end of March. Thanks so much to everyone who has been supporting me with this and I hope to see you all soon as I zoom around in my new Mercedes Benz B-class!
There are some foods so nostalgic that just the thought can evoke special memories.
For me one of those foods is lemon bars. These sweet and tart squares seemed to be at at every church event, school bake sale, Christmas tea and pageant speech I was ever at growing up.
Recently I found the most simple and absolutely tastiest recipe for lemon bars on Pinterest. The recipe came from Citrus Bars on the blog www.abeautifulmess.com Head on over to their website to check out all the other citrus bar recipes those creative girls came up with.
I stuck with the classic lemon recipe this time. In total I used only 2 large lemons, I wouldn’t recommended any more than that or the bars could turn out too bitter. So if you feel like whipping up a delicous, nostalgic treat follow the recipe below which includes the easiest shortbread crust recipe there ever could be. I adapted this recipe slightly to make it my own.
So start squeezing those lemons ladies and get to work like fellow lemon lover Yolanda from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, haha!
Lemon Bars Recipe
Crust: 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and a generous pinch of sea salt. Combine all ingredients until crumbly then press dough into your greased baking pan. Poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the filling.
Filling: 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon citrus zest, 1/2 cup fresh squeezed citrus juice, 1/2 cup flour and powder sugar or shaved coconut dusting the top. Whisk together all ingredients until just combined, pour into prepared baking pan with crust. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes, until the bars have set. Remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar or coconut.
One cooled at room temperature bars can be kept covered in the fridge.
Although this is a super sweet treat lemons have many health benefits. Once a week I cut up one lemon and put it in a pitcher in the fridge full of water. I refill the water all week long to drink a lovely tasting lemon water.
Here are some great benefits of drinking lemon water.
My heart is broken, we lost a family member today. As a writer I feel the best way I can honor Salem in my own way is by writing him an obituary/letter.
I have always been fascinated by the magic of a black cats. I’ve wanted one since I was a little girl. As a child I read a book called Time Cat about a time travelling black cat who took his young owner with him on journeys through time with a wink of his eye. As someone who has always been so inspired by words and stories, my childhood imagination dreamt of where I would go with my own magic black cat.
A few years later my Dad bought me a box of comic books from a yard sale, knowing my passion for reading. Immediately I took to the ‘Sabrina The Teenage Witch’ comic series. She was a blonde girl like me with a sassy black talking cat which of course I wish I had myself! A short while later during the TGIF hey-day the show Sabrina the Teenage Witch came onto TV and I watched it every Friday night with my family. Sabrina’s magic black cat Salem Saberhaaegen was the star of the show and I always dreamed that someday I would own a talking magic black cat like him.
My dream of having a black cat finally came true when I adopted my very own, who I named Salem, 6 years ago. His first few years before I had him were rough as he was originally an SPCA kitten who was then adopted by a girl who had him for a while but couldn’t keep him and that is when Salem came into my life when I adopted him. I promised him that when I brought him home he would have a forever home in Summerland and would always be with our family. No more moving around. Salem spent many happy days playing in the field at Sumac Ridge. He made friends with the neighbourhood cats who would come to would come to visit (his closet cat friend was Jinxy) He enjoyed his daily ‘brushies’ with Papa and loved sleeping curled up to Mom’s head in bed at night. Salem LOVED drinking from the tap and watching TV on the couch with Clint, he even caught a bat once! He was without a doubt a member of our family.
He got really sick with a thyroid issue a few months ago and we had to hand feed him back to health. It appeared that he made a full recovery and we spent a lovely Christmas with him.
My sister and I got him a cozy doggy bed for Christmas which he loved sleeping on daily ever since the holidays.
One of the last days I spent with him was over the holidays when my boyfriend, sister and myself were talking downstairs and Salem hopped on to the bed and fell asleep to the sound of us all talking. I didn’t know then that was to be one of my last times with him.
He unexpectedly took a turn for the worse in the past few days and went to heaven today to meet our old dogs TC and Skippy.
Before I found out about his passing, a black cat came and visited me at work today, which I take comfort in believing that it was Salem’s magical way of saying goodbye to me. Anyone that knows our family knows how much Salem meant to us and I think that anyone with a pet can relate how pets truly are family members. Our family home will never feel the same without him.
I have decided in addition to writing this open letter and sharing this small story about how special he was to all of us, I want to honour him by participating in the SPCA National Cupcake Day Fundraiser. As a food writer, animal lover, and SPCA supporter this is a very fitting tribute from me to Salem.
On February 25th I will be hosting a cupcake party for National Cupcake Day, at my place with all donations going to support the BCSPCA. If you cannot make the event and still wish to donate I have set up an ‘online bakery’ on the official SPCA website where you can donate online. The purpose of this is to support all the animals who need food, love and health care from the SPCA which relies heavily on donations. From this open letter I want people to know that adopting a pet into our family was one of the best decisions I ever made. Salem was a older pet (5 years old) when I adopted him and he brought an incredible amount of joy and love into our family. I hope that next time you are considering getting a pet please think about all the pets available and looking for a loving forever home at your nearest animal shelter, they have so much love to give! Thank you Salem for spending your final years with us. We will always love you.
I was recently researching for an article about wine and I found this incredible poem that was written in 750 A.D. about the love of wine. I had to share it with you on here! Oh wine, how I love thee
Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon
Surely, if heaven didn’t love wine,
there would be no Wine star in heaven,
and if earth didn’t love wine, surely
there would be no Wine Spring on earth.
Heaven and earth have always loved wine,
so how could loving wine shame heaven?
I hear clear wine called enlightenment,
and they say murky wine is like wisdom:
once you drink enlightenment and wisdom,
why go searching for gods and immortals?
Three cups and I’ve plumbed the great Way,
a jarful and I’ve merged with occurrence
appearing of itself. Wine’s view is lived:
you can’t preach doctrine to the sober.
- Li Po (circa 750 A.D)
I also won the job as the official social media ambassador for Mercedes Benz Canada and will be tweeting, blogging, tumblring and more about the new B-Class. I am beyond exciting about this new experience as I continue to tumble down rabbit hole.
